Loose-lea



L. B. STODDARD.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12. I919.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. B. STODDARD.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.12. 1919.

Patented Dec. 1921.

2 SHEETS- T 2.

I ll! 26 awvo/wboz 12 LEUIL E1. Emddard Paranr caries.

LEON B. STODDARD, OF BAKER, OREGON.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

Application filed August 12, 1919. Serial No. 317,036.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON B. STODDARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baker, in the county of Baker and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a binder for loose leaf records, tariif files, maps, etc., and an object of the invention is to provide a binder of this nature which will bind sheets provided with openings or slots punched near one edge. In making up loose leaves for various types of records, some are provided with holes or perforations near one edge, while others are provided with vari ous forms of slots, and each leaf having the distinctive type of opening therein is designed for use with a particular type of binder which sometimes results in considerable inconvenience to the user, owing to the failure to have the proper type of binder, and an object of this invention is to provide a binder of the spur type, which will effectively bind leaves provided with various types of perforation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a binder as specified which comprises a pair of hingedly connected sections, each carrying, at its free edge, a plurality of arcuate spurs adapted for seating in recesses in the other or companion section, and the spurs upon one section are disposed staggeredly to the spurs upon the other section to permit the entire closing of the sections if desired, and also to provide binder strips having convex outer surfaces along the free edges of the hinged members, which strips are adapted to form line binding contact with the leaves to securely bind them .in the back or, binder.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient form of locking mechanism for locking the hinged sections in leaf binding position, the said lock comprising an arcuate segment carried by one section and provided with ratchet teeth on its concaved surface, which ratchet teeth are adapted for engagement with companion ratchet teeth formed upon the convex upper surface of a locking lug. to lock the sections in various adjusted positions, and further to mount the said locking lug upon a flat spring, which normally urges the lug into locking position with respect to the segnents, and which permits depression of the locking lug to release the locking engagement with the segment.

A still further object of this invention is to provide the locking ratchet teeth upon the lug at an angle, and to adjustaoly support this locking lug providing adjustable connection with its operating pin to permit longitudinal movement of the lug to vary the pressure of the teeth thereon with the teeth of the locking segments, and to compensate for wear upon these locking teeth.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view looking into the binder in an open position.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the binder illustrating the locking lug and its operating pin.

Fig. 4 is a cross section through the binder similar to Fig. 3 only showing the sections partly closed.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the locking lug, and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the locking segment which coacts with the said locking lugs.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the two sections 10 and 11 of the binder are hingedly connected by means of hinges 12, and they have rounded outer surfaces, to present an artistic appearance, as well as to prevent the provision of corners thereon. The hinged sections 10 and 11 have facing portions thereof cut away to accommodate the locking construction. However, a portion of their facing sides as indicated at 13 is adapted for facial abutment when the sections are completely closed. Outwardly of these portions 18, the inner facing portions of the sections are cut away to accommodate or receive the loose leaves to be bound by the device. The sections 10 and 11 are preferably covered with any suitable type of fabric as indicated at 14 which fabric also serves to connect the covers 15 to the sections 10 and 11 as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. Along the inner surface of each of the sections 10 and 11 near its outer edge is positioned a binding bar 16,

preferably of metal, and presenting a convex surface for engagement with the leaves to be bound by the binder so as to provide line binding engagement witl a leaf. These strips 16 carry arcuate spurs 17 upon one strip being dispose-c z with respect to the spurs upon. t strip as clearly shown in 1 of ings. The strips 16 and also the secti and 11 are provided with o; ninos 18 therein which are ad recei ti o spurs 17 of the other s when the se tions are partly or wholly closed, The enter the spurs 17 are preferably shar, shown at 18 a d {PG adapted to through the pew -cns o1 op the leaves to be bonnc by tie b desired, they em. or to thei ends 18 be used as ing the leaves to permit tl r o; the binder. Means for loch 10 and 11 in partially whol'" tion against decidental cutwaro movement is L St per prov: and it comprises a segme; t 20 which carried by the sectr being); attached thereto through the men i of an attaching plate The 20 is provided with ratchet teeth LS concaved or under surface, which teeth are adopted to co-ect with the ratchet teeth F upon the upper arcucte end of lug; 2%. The lock is hi is mo threaded end 25 of an open t k it is held against rotation by with the upstanding sides 27 0 member 28 carried by the opereting pin 26 is rotatably uptin'ned end 29 of a so upstanding; bracket 31 on. flat spring so as to f for the locking lu outwardly for ice the teethQ ther segment 20.

various p0 lug? or block oy and conseo loci: lug 241,-, will lil cwise compensw and prev iiylooi, fective relation between the 11. The spring 30 normally u s the locking log outwardly and when the sections are in binding position as shown in 4- to release the loo]: trncture to permit the opening; of the hinder, the stem 26 is de pressed or moved downwardly, which moves the lock 24 downwardly therewith owing to the yieldable mounting of the block upon the spring 30 to disengaqe the teeth 23 and the teeth 22 and then allow the sections 10 and 11 to be opened or moved apart. A. suitof teeth wet thereupon. or loss of ef- SBCQiOZlS 10 and ab e stop 34, preferably astaple, is provided, imit the outward movement of the stem and consequently of the block 24: under action of the fiat spring 30. The section 11 provided with an arcuate recess 35 which receives the segment 20 when the sections 10 and 11 are in closed position or receives part of the segment when the sections are nly partly closed. A suitable knurled head 06 's carried by the outer end of the pin or 26 to facilitate its rotation and operaand the sections 10 and 11 are cut away, snown at 37 at their ends at which the ed 36 is positioned to permit the insertion operators fingers between the sections and 11 to operate the lock structure.

ts the binder becomes filled with pages, ecords, or the like, the lugs 24 can be adjusted upon various parts of the segment 20, accommodate the expansion incident e Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit of this 1nvent1on,

In a loose leaf binder, the combination pair of hingedly connected sections, an segment carried by one section and 2 led with ratchet teeth on its concaved sn iace, and yieldably mounted locking block carried by the other section and havins ratchet teeth. thereon adapted to engage with the ratchet teeth of the segments to lock the sections in adjusted positions.

2. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a pair of hingedly connected sections, an ercuate segment carried by one section and vided with ratchet teeth on its concaved su ace, a yieldably mounted locking block c ed by the other section and having -het teeth thereon adapted to engage V the ratchet teeth of the segments to lock the sections in adjusted positions, the t c tiupon said blocl: and segments being disposed in oblique angles to the lines of the nts and block, and means for adjust-- he position of said block to cause firm engagement of the teeth, i a loose leaf binder, the combination of a pair of hingedly connected sections, leaf binding means carried by said sections, a segment carried by one of said sections and provided with ratchet teeth on a concaved surface, a flat spring carried by the other section, a locking block supported upon said fist spring and provided with ratchet teeth on its outer surface for meshing with the segment carried ratchet teeth, said spring normally urging said block outwardly for locking engagement with the segment, and a stem connected to said block to permit de pression of the block for releasing its engagement with the segment.

4. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a pair of hingedly connected sections, leaf binding means carried by said sections, a segment carried by one of said sections and provided with ratchet teeth on a concaved surface, a flat spring carried by the other section, a locking block supported upon said flat spring and provided with ratchet teeth on its outer surface for meshing with the Segment carried ratchet teeth, said spring normally urging said block outwardly for locking engagement with the segment, a stem connected to said block to permit depression of the block for releasing its engagement with the segment, the ratchet teeth upon said block being disposed at an oblique angle to the lines of the block, said block adjustably mounted upon its operating stem to permit adjustment longitudinally thereon for varying the clamping engagement of the ratchet teeth of the block with the teeth of said segment.

5. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a pair of hingedly connected sections, binding strips mounted on the inner facing surfaces of the free edges of said sections and presenting convex surfaces for binding engagement with loose leaves, a segment carried by one of said sections and provided with ratchet teeth thereon, a flat spring carried by the other section, a stem rotatably supported by said flat spring, a locking block adjustably mounted upon said stem and provided with an arcuate outer surface, ratchet teeth upon said arcuate surface and adapted for locking engagement with the ratchet teeth upon said segment.

6. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a pair of liingedly connected sections, binding strips mounted on the inner facing surfaces of the free edges of said sections and presenting convex surfaces for binding engagement with loose leaves, a segment carried by one of said sections and provided with ratchet teeth thereon, a flat spring carried by the other section, a stem rotatably supported by said flat spring, a locking block adjustably mounted upon said stem and provided with an arcuate outer surface, ratchet teeth upon said arcuate surface and adapted for locking engagement with the ratchet teeth upon said segment, said spring normally urging said locking block into locking engagement with the segments, and means for engaging said operating stem to limit the movement of the block under action of said spring.

7. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a pair of hingedly connected sections, binding strips mounted on the inner facing surfaces of the free edges of said sections and presenting convex surfaces for binding engagement with loose leaves, a segment carried by one of said sections and provided with ratchet teeth thereon, a fiat spring carried by the other section, a stem rotatably supported by said flat spring, a locking block adjustably mounted upon said stem and provided with an arcuate outer surface, ratchet teeth upon said arcuate surface and adapted for locking engagement with the ratchet teeth upon said segment, said spring normally urging said locking block into locking engagement with the segments, means for engaging said operating stem to limit the movement of the block under action of said spring, a plurality of arcuate spurs carried by said binding strip, the spurs upon one strip disposed staggeredly with respect to the spurs upon the other strip, said strips and sections being provided with recesses adapted to receive said spurs therein when the sections are' in binding positions, a binder positioned about the outer surfaces of said sections, and covers connected to said sections by said binder.

8. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a pair of hingedly connected sections, a rack carried by one of said sections, having teeth thereon, a locking block carried by the other section, and having teeth thereon adapted to engage with the teeth upon the rack for holding the sections in a predetermined position, and means for advancing or retracting said locking block to compensate for wear upon the teeth thereof by the rack teeth.

LEON B. STODDARD. 

